Improvement in smut machines



ALLEN & MARSHALL.

Smut Mill.

Patented April 2, 1867vl MPETERS, PHOrn-LITHOGRAPH-SR vnrlmcron, D c4ZADOCK G. ALLEN AND GEORGE lV. MARSHALD'OF BUFFALO, NEW' YORK.

Letters Patent No. 63,355, dated April 2, 1867; anteilotcfl Marc/7L 1S,1867.

IMPROVEMENT IN SMUT MACHINES.

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TO ALL WHOM. IT MAY CONCERN:

Be it lm'ownI that we, ZADOCK G. ALLEN yand GEORGE W. MARSHALL, both ofBuffalo, in the county of Erie, and State of New York, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Sinut Machines; and we do herebydeclare that the following is'a full and exact description thereof,reference being had tothe accompany ing drawings, making part of thisspecification, in which Figure l is a vertical section of our machine.

Figure 2 is a horizontal section on the line x x of g. 1.

Figure 3 is a diagram showing the manner of setting the corrugatedplat-es of the upper section of the concave, being a section on the liney y, fig. 1.

Figure 4: is an elevation ofone of the corrugated plates which composethe lower concave K, detached.

Figure 5 is a like elevation'of one of the plates of the upper concaveH.

Figure C is a section lengthwise of one of the adjustable beaters, andacross the arm, showing their adaptationto the required adjustment.

Like letters of reference designate corresponding parts in all of thefigures.

Our machine consists essentially of a tight cylindrical case, A A,preferably made of wood, divided into two equa-l vertical sections,which are connected by dowels and hoops, clamps, or other equivalentdevice, said case enclosing a suction fan, a beater frame, and tworonscouring cylinders or concaves, of dierent size and construction, aswill be more fully described hereafter. A central vertical shaft orspindle, B, provided with the driving pulley C, carries the beaters Dand the fan E. The fan revolves in a close chamber at the top of thecase, provided with a discharge or dust pipe, j'. The air is receivedthrough a central opening at the bottom surroundingithe shaft B, asindicated by arrows, and is drawn upward through the two concaves andthe fan case to the dust pipe. The grain is admitted through theinduction pipe F, at the top ofthe upper concave, and

-delivered through the eduction p ip'e G, placed tangentially at thebottom and periphery ofthe lower concave. The

concaves are construct-ed of a series of iron plates or sections, havingtheir interior faces corrugated ohliquely, as shown most clearly infigs. 4 and 5. The angle of inclination is upward, in relation to thedirection in which the beater shaft revolves, so that the grain which isthrown against them glances upward, and is kept longer exposed to theaction of the machine. The plates of the upper concave H are placedeccentrically, as shown in fig. 3, so as to vpresent their edges to thegrain as it is thrown from the revolving beaters, and a slight space isleft between each, through which the dust passes tangentially, theintersticcs not being large enough to admit the kernels. The edges ofthese plates 'or sections are not serrated, but present a uniformv lineat their inner surface, seen at j, g. 5, the object of which is topresent abrupt barriers, against which smut balls and other pulverulentforeign matter will be broken, by being thrown violently against them bythe beaters. The lower concave K is formed of iron plates, corrugated inlike manner, set concentrically, and far enough apart to allow a smallspace for the.escape of the dust, as shown by the spaces e e. Each plateis formed with a projection from one edge at the top andbottom b b, tig.4, to insure the leaving of this space. The grooves of the plates J Jrun obliquely, and in the saine direction, relative to the rotation ofthe beaters, as in the upper concave; but these grooves extend from edgevto edge of the plates, dispensing with the barrier j, whichiis notrequired in this concave, the function of which isto subject the grainto hing-continued scouring and abrasion, which is mostcomplctelyelfccted by the continuity of the upwardly inclined grooves ofthe plates, which guide orcarryupward the grain thrown in contact withthem so long as the force which it receives from the motionof thebeaters keeps it from falling. The beaters consist of broad, dat pla-tesor slats D, preferably eight innumber, connected withradial arms L,which project outwardly from rings m m, which are attached tothe'central shaft B by scroll-shaped wings o'o, starting from a hubthereon, the further purpose of whichwill be presently explained. lheolhce of the beaters being to throwY the grain against the plates whichform thc concaves H K, it is obvious that some means ar'c essential forregulating this action so that different qualities of grain may besubjected to the abrasion for longer V"or shorter periods, as theircondition may require. Thus srnutty grain which is damp may requireailong process of scouring, while that which is dry is quickly cleaned;and to place it within the power of the attendant to regulate the periodwhich the grain remains in the machine, we make the beater' slatsadjustable from a perpendicular position to one inclined either forward,with refercnceto their direction of rotation, or backward, as shown iniig. 1. Jlhis is accomplished by making the lower hub P adjustable onthe shaft B, so that, by loosening the set-screw 1', it may be -turnedin either direction, to give the required inclination to the slats. Inorder to adapt the fastening to this purposethe face ofthe arms L L maybe bevelled, as shown in fig. 6, and the heads of the bolts s may beconical, when, with a slight elongation of the holes through the slatfor said bolts, a free adjustability is obtained. It is obvious that aforward inclination of'the beater slats will tend to carry the grainupward as it is thrown off centrifugally, and the upward inclination ofthe grooves in the concave serves to continue this direction so long asthe grain does not fall, as previously explained; while, if `the slatsare setl to a backward inclinationfthe grain is thrown downward,striking across the corrugations, by which it sooner falls to the bottomand is swept out through the discharge spout. The spiral wings o o,Vfilling the openingin the bottom around the shaft B, serve the doublepurpose of forcing air into the concave, or aiding the current producedby the suction fan E, and of preventing any of the grain from fallingthrough this opening. Such kernels as fall in this direction strike thewings and are thrown back on to the door of the concave, when they areswept out of the spout by the slats D D. There is no partition betweenthe 4upper and-lowerconcaves, the same beater extending through both,being adapted to the greater diameter of the lower by increasing thewidtho the slats in a corresponding degree. The diameter of the upperconcave is necessarily less, in consequence of its different oiiee-thatof breaking the smut balls and other refuse-as a speed like thatrequired in the larger concave for scouring would be sutcient topulverize a portion of the wheat, if employed in the upper concave.

What we claim as our invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,is-

1. We .claimy the combination of the upper and lower concaves H K, theformer of lesser diameter, with the beaters D D, or their equivalent,when arranged and operating in the manner specified.

2. We also claim the adjustable beater slats D D, in combination withthe concave formed of the obliquely corrugated iron plates or sections II and J J, substantially as described.

3. We also claim, in combination with the fan E and beater shaft B, thespiral wings o o, operating sul stantially for the purposes described.

In witness whereof we have hereunto signed our names in the presenceof'two subscribing witnesses.

Z. G. ALLEN, GEORGE W. MAR-SHALL.

Witnesses J. FRASER, JAY HYATT.

